CUNA Tweets Deliver Tax Message to Senate

Twitter was abuzz Tuesday morning with credit unions voicing their support of CUNA’s Don’t Tax Tuesday.

The trade association has asked its members and affiliated leagues to tweet about the credit union tax exemption and add the hashtag #DontTaxMyCU and #DontTaxTuesday to provide a boost to its current Don’t Tax My CU campaign.

Vice President of Political Affairs Trey Hawkins said the campaign will focus grassroots efforts in support of the exemption as senators recommend changes to the tax code. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and Ranking Member Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) as part of their blank slate approach, asked senators to send them a letter by Friday listing tax expenditures they would like to keep.

Hawkins called Twitter “the new frontier in terms of contacting Congress," saying every Senate office has a Twitter presence and more than 90% of House members do, too.

The $4.5 billion Delta Community Credit Union of Atlanta tweeted, “Please #DontTaxMyCU @SaxbyChambliss and @SenatorIsakson! 280K+ @DeltaCommunity members count on you to protect our $$$!”

Because the tweet included Georgia Sens. Saxby Chambliss (R) and Johnny Isakson (R), the message will appear on the lawmakers’ accounts.

The Grand Rapids, Mich.-based CUSO CU*Answers said in a release it also has asked its employees and client credit unions to participate in the event.

Hawkins said that while congressional staffers typically handle emails, phone calls and visitors, they also maintain their own Facebook and Twitter accounts, and lawmakers are increasingly handling social media on their own.

“So when you tweet, there’s a good chance the senator will see it himself, and not just his staff,” Hawkins said.